Venezuelan Olympian and proud Wellington local, Luis Fernando Larrazabal is a familiar face in the Wellington International winner’s circle. True to form, he started another Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season in winning fashion with a victory in the $35,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Premier Round on Thursday of opening week riding the promising young mare, Ribery.
Luis and Baroness hold a team silver medal from the 2025 Bolivarian Games in Lima, Peru, and finished 15th individually at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Raised on a farm in Venezuela, he grew up on the back of a horse and has now found success as a professional. Luis—now 33—has garnered 40 international victories and made consistent appearances on the Wellington Nations Cup team from Venezuela.
Today, he operates San Francisco Stables in Wellington.
We caught up with Luis at WEF to chat young horse development, his recent wins and what’s next:
How did you get your start in the saddle?
Horses have been a part of my family for a long time. My parents used to ride as a hobby back in Venezuela, and my grandfather on my dad’s side used to breed thoroughbreds.
I was raised on a farm in Venezuela for the first 10 years of my life. I used to come home from school, get on a horse and ride around the farm. It was so much fun.
When I was seven, I started getting into show jumping through lessons and learning on ponies or small horses.
You have developed numerous horses up to their first five-star classes (Condara, Baroness, Jon Snow). What qualities do you look for in your horses?
I’m very grateful to all the owners I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout the years. I’m always looking for quality. I like to think I’m good at producing them and taking my time and understanding each horse.
When I train younger horses, they don’t have all the experience, and you don’t know what level they will end up competing at. So, I always try to find a willing horse. Their attitude and willingness to jump—that’s what I look for. They need to like their job; when they get to a fence, they try their best in each jump.
The rest comes with time—working and connecting with them and trying to get them to their best.
Luis Fernando Larrazabal & “Belle De Muze” © Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
What is your program like at home, and how do you balance competing, training and time off?
Depending on the age and program of the horse, it varies. When they’re younger, we take our time and never jump bigger than 1.20m to 1.25m at home. I focus on developing their ability, understanding them and making them feel confident.
When [young horses] come to show, I try to compete in just enough classes. Once they jump well, I stop. If they prove themselves to me in one class or two, I don’t need to keep pushing them.
At around eight, nine or ten, it’s a bit different. You need to take the time to understand them and feel what they’re telling you before taking them to shows. Once you’re at a show and asking questions, it’s important to know their limits and recognize when to push and perform.
You’ve had a successful year that included a win streak during ESP Spring, and a silver medal at the Bolivarian Games. What has your training been like leading up to all these milestone achievements?
I feel very young, but I’m grateful to have a lot of experience in this sport. You make mistakes, have hard moments and learn from them. I focus on trying to connect more with my horses and think less about the results—enjoying the process with my horses, the connection, riding them, and being there to support them. I really think that’s a big part.
You can’t be greedy in this sport. It doesn’t work like that. We’re working with animals that are big and strong, but so sensitive. I feel like I’ve changed that mindset, and thankfully this past year it’s been coming together. I’m very happy and enjoying the good moments, because they don’t last forever.
Luis Fernando Larrazabal © Wellington International // Cassidy Klein
As someone who calls Wellington home now, what is so special about WEF for you and your team?
I love to be here. We live five minutes from [Wellington International] and my family, my kids are here and my clients love to come WEF. This is my backyard, so I’m very fortunate to call this place my home and I’m very excited about the future here with the improvements on the showgrounds. They are doing a wonderful job.
Luis Larrazabal with Family in the Leadline class during ESP Spring. © Sierra Buerkley Photography
The Battle of the Sexes presented by LeMieux, is coming up this week. You’ve competed for many years—what keeps you coming back to that event?
The rivalry is very fun. They’ve been beating us for so long, but these past three years we’ve come back.
Overall it’s a very fun night; you see kids supporting you, the crowd and atmosphere are electric and you get to experience different formats. If we win—great, but we’re there to enjoy the night and have fun.
What’s one thing that you always want your students to take away from a ride?
Teaching gives me a different perspective.
My goal is for them to take something away from their time with me that they can put into practice once they’re by themselves. Not only the basics but also the mindset; how the mind works, the connection with your horse. Sometimes I think people are leaving that out from their equation. Sometimes they just want to compete but forget about the mentality. Whether they’re with me for a month or forever, I hope they’re able to take quality knowledge with them.
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